Vending machine



Sept. 17, 1929. H. MORIN VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR TZ. 0a/lf A( Mor/fz BY f ATTORNEY.

Sept. 17, 1929. l.. H. MORIN VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet BY f A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES LOUIS H. MORIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

DOEHLER VENDING MACHINES, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VENDING MACHINE Original application led October 24, 1925, Serial No. 64,501. Divided and this application led July 13, 1927. Serial No. 205,285.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 64,501, filed October 24, 1925, which became Patent No. 1,652,540, December 13, 1927. The subject matter of the present application relates more particularly te the features of construction embodied in the operating mechanism by reason of which when the magazine needs replenishing the coin carrier will be locked in a position to close the coin slot against the insertion of a coin thereby to prevent loss of coins in the machine.

One object of the invention is to provide a construction for this purpose which may be readily embodied in and cooperate with the complete operating mechanism,` including the coin controlled features and the c0- operating delivery features, which form the subject of the parent application. Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device of this kind which, as to its principal features, may be readily embodied in vending machines of various types. Other objects are inexpensiveness, simplicity, eifectiveness, reliability, and durability. Other objects and advantages will hereinafter ap- .)ear. l 1 Substantially the same coin controlled mechanism per se disclosed herein and also disclosed in the parent patent forms the subject of my copending application Serial No. 39,442, filed June 25, 1925, which became Patent No. 1,723,948, Aug. 6, 1929.

While the present invention is shown as embodied ina machine for vending combs, it is to be understood that such invention is capable of being embodied in vending machines of various types for vending different articles withoutany substantial change or aln teration in the principal features of construction which relate to this invention and with only such modification as may be required or advisable in View of the type of vending machine in which the invention is employed. For example, such a slightly modified embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 78,265, filed December 30, 1925, which became Patent No. 1,722,230, July 23, 1929.

The present invention has also been embodied in vending machines in which the coin controlled mechanism has been some.- what modified, but with the principal features o f construction involved in the present invention remaining substantially the same. Such 5 machines are disclosed in my copending applications for patent, Serial No. 224,051, filed October 5, 192.7, and Serial No. 238,288, filed December 7, 1927. Therefore, it is evident that various changes in details of con struction may be made as to the various features involved in carrying out the present invention without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The invention includes various features of construction and combinations of parts as will appear from the following description. ,1, One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the complete machine drawn to a reduced scale, and in dotted lines shows the normal relation of the coin carrier andvits immediate adjuncts to the coin slot in the front wall of the casing;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation with the front wall of the magazine and of the upper part of the casing base removed and with parts in vertical section just back of the lower part of the front casing wall, and as viewed'from the left in Fig. 3, the middle part of the magazine being broken out as indicated by the broken parallel lines;

Fig. 3 is a substantially central vertical section as viewed from the right in Figs. 1 and 2, with some of the parts shown in elevation, the upper part I of the magazine being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a partial horizontal section on thc line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view of parts of the mechanism which are partially concealed in Fig. 3.

In order to obtain a clear understanding of the claimed invention it appears to be necessary first to describe the principal features of construction in general of the particular vending machine in which the invention' is shown as embodied. In this machine the casing comprises in general a lower casing part or 100 base which houses the operating mechanism and an upright magazine above the base. Substantially similar right and left castings are joined at the front in the base and at the back in the magazine part, along middle vertical lines, to form right and left side walls 1 for the base and magazine a lower front wall part 2 for the base, a back wall 3 for the magazine, and a top closure 4 for the magazine. A back wall 5 for the base is shown as a separate piece, and a bottom closure 6 for the base is hinged along one side at 7 and at the other side is secured by a suitable lock 8. The upper front part of the base and t-he front of the magazine are closed by a front casting, comprising a front wall 9 and an inclined wall 10, for the upper front part of the base, and a frame 11 at the front of the magazine. The frame 11 carries a glass plate 12 which may be a mirror. The inclined wall 10 forms the floor of a delivery chute which terminates outwardly in a receptlon cup 13, and a top wall is formed for the deliver chute by an apron 14 on the lower end ofy the frame 11. The lower end of the front wall 9 of the base interlocks with the upper edge of the lower wall part 2 and the upper end of the frame 11 is secured by a suitable lock 15.

A thick horizontal plate 16 closes the top of the base at the back and together with an overlying sectional plate 17, secured thereto so as to form in effect a part thereof, forms a bottom for the magazine. The lower part of the magazine at the front is closed by a transverse vertical plate 18 having therein a deliver slot 19 flush with the top of the magazine oor late 17 and with the up er edge of the incllned chute bottom 10. he base of the machine has secured therein a frame 20 for supporting the operating mechanism, and in the illustrated machine the lower magazine bottom plate 16 is formed in one piece with this frame. The supporting frame 20 is for the most partin the form of a vertical plate which forms a. partition wall across the base part of the casing in parallel spaced relation to the front wall portlons 2 and 9. v

v The magazine, at the sides thereof, is provided With vertical right and left sheet metal flanged guide strips 21 and 22 for guiding the articles to be vended. Such strip 21 at the right side is of channel shape with its front flange at the bottom cut away at the delivery slot 19, and the other stri 22 is of L-shape and provided near the bac with a guide rib 22l which at its lower end is cut away opposite the delivery slot 19. In the machine illustrated, the articles to be vended are combs 23 which at their ends are guided by the strips .21 and 22 to move downward.

One end of each comb 23 is provided with a notch to receive the guide rib 22", thus compellin the placing of the combs in the magazine al in the same position with the teeth It will be in their tota-l weight. In effecting delivery,

the combs are permitted to descend until the lowermost comb rests upon the magazine floor 17 then this bottom comb is pushed forward through the delivery slot 19 and slides down the inclined chute bottom 10 into the external reception vcup 13. The delivery mechanism will be next described.

The magazine bottom, comprising the superposed plates 16 and 17 is provided in its upper side with two transverse T-slots or grooves 16a. The wider lower part of each of these grooves is shown as formed in the lower or main plate 16 while the narrow upper part of such groove extends across and divides into sections the upper floor plate 17. T-shaped notches in the front magazme plate 18 opening upwardly into the delivery slot 19 form forward continuations of the slots 16". T-shaped delivery members 25 are guided in the slots 16 to slide to and fro, in the machine shown this. movement being lirst backward and then forward. These delivevery members are so proportioned as to project above the magazine floor plate 17 to the extent of the thickness of a single comb 23. These deliver members are shown in the drawings in t eir normal forward position, in which the stack of combs rests upon the delivery members, the forward ends of these delivery members then entering and closing the delivery 'slot 19, thereby preventing the possibility of an unpaid for comb being obtained. At the rear of the magazine fioor 17 a free space is provided between the guide strips 21 and 22 and the rear wall 3 of the magazine, for the reception of the delivery members 25 when the latter are moved to the rear of the combs. y

The rearward movement of the delivery members 25 is an idle or preparatory movement, while their forward movement is a delivery movement, a complete to and fro movement, backward and forward, being required to effect the delivery of a comb. When the delivery members 25 are moved tothe rear of the combs the combs rest upon the magazine floor plate 17 and as the delivery members are returned to their normal slot-closing forward position they push the lowermost comb forward through the delivery slot 19, the forward ends of these delivery members then coming substantially flush with the front face of the plate 18, as shown in Fig. 3, and also close to the rear edge of the inclined chute plate 10. The coin controlled operating means shown as provided for imparting such complete to and fro, backward and forward, delivery movement to the delivery members 25 will now be described.

The magazine bottom plate 16 is provided with transverse slots 16b which open into the bottoms of the T-slots 16, The delivery members 25 are provided in their lower sides with recesses 25ZL for the reception of the upper rounded ends of upright levers 26 fulcrumed at their lower ends on the frame 2() by means of pivot studs 27. These two levers 26 are shown as rigidly connected together by a cross bar 26a which is shown as formed in one piece with the levers. At a suitable distance above their pivots 27 these levers carry cam followers shown as rollers 26".

A cam wl1eel28 rotative on a horizontal axis has an undulatory peripheral cam groove 28a in which the cam rollers 2Gb engage at diametrically opposite points of the cam wheel. This cam groove 28al is symmetrically formed and has an even number of complete undulations, such number being eight in the cam wheel 28, as will presently more clearly appear. For facilitating manufacture, the cam wheel 28 is split through the cam groove 28a into two parts or sections which interlock by means of a diametral ridge on one cam part iitting into a groove in the other cam part, as shown in Fig. 3. The cam wheel 28 is fixed upon the inner reduced end of a cam shaft 29 which is journaled in a rather long bearing formed by means of front and rear bosses on the vertical partition wall formed by the supporting frame 20. This 'shaft 29 has a squared portion as shown to compel the cam wheel 28 to rotate with the shaft and is provided at its inner end with a nut which screws up against the cam wheel. The driving device for the cam wheel 28 will be next described.

In the machine shown, the driving device is operated by means of a moving coin. peripherally toothed drive wheel 30 is fixed on the outer reduced and squared end of the cam shaft 29 and held in place by a nut, as shown. This drive wheel 3() has eight teeth 30a which form a circumferential series of equidistantly spaced abutments some one of which, at the lower edge of the wheel, is normally in the path of the upper edge portion of the coin, in position to be engaged thereby and moved a step equal to the distance between these teeth as the coin is moved from left to right` as viewed in Fig. 2. The one-eighth step of rotation thus imparted to the drive Wheel 30 will impart a corresponding step of rotation to the cam wheel 28. whereby the deliveryy members 25 will be first retracted and then returned to their normal position, thereby to deliver a purchased comb 23, as above described. It will be noted that the teeth 30n of of the drive wheel have abrupt front faces, shown as radial, to be engaged by the coin, while the rear faces of these teeth are inclined, so that the teeth taper substantially to a point.

A normally automatically effective releasable locking device is provided for positively stopping and locking the cam wheel 28 against rotative movement in either direction away from its normal or delivery position, and which therefore is also effective to lock the delivery members 25 at their slot-closing delivery position and to lock the drive wheel 3() at its proper normal position. In the niachine shown, this locking device is released by means of a moving coin prior to 'the engagement of the latter with the lowermost tooth 30L of the drive wheel 30. This locking device includes a locking disc 31 secured by means of screws to the forward face'of the cam wheel 28 and provided on its periphery with eight equidistantly spaced semi-circular notches 31".

` A normally effective automatically engaging coin operated locking pawl is provided for the locking disc 31, in the form of a short push rod 32 which upon its upper side near its inner end is provided with a square-shouldered notch 32, for the reception of the periphery of the disc! 31 when the latter is rotated, the end portion 32b of the rod inward from the notch 32a normally engaging in a notch 31* of the disc 31 to lock the latter against rotative movement in either direction. The pawl-forming push rod 32 is normally pressed to its engaging position by a coiled compression spring 33 which acts bet-Ween a shoulder 32c on the rod and a plug 34 screwed into the end of a boss on the rear side of the partition wall 20. The pawl rod 32 is guided in the plug 34 and at its forward end projects through and is guided in the wall 20, against which the shoulder 32c abuts to limit the forward movement of the rod, the forward end portion of the rod being sqiared to prevent rotative shifting of the ro The forward end of the pawl rod 32 normally projects beyond the wall 20 and is provided, as shown, with an inclined cam surface which is in the path of the rear edge portion of the moving coin. Thus the coin as it is moved from left to right between the upper front wall portion and the partition wall 20 will push back the pawl rod, thereby disengaging the pawl end 32b from a notch 31al in the locking disc 31. The pawl rod notch 32a is thus brought into alignment with the disc 31 so that the latter is free to be rotated together with the cam wheel 28 and the drive wheel 30.

' The pawl rod 32 is so positioned that while the moving coin is still in engagement with its outer end, and the cam wheel 28 is unf locked, the coin will come into engagement with a tooth 30a of the drive wheel 30 and impart initial rotative movement thereto. A further slight forward movement of the moving coin will carry it beyond the end of the pawl rod 32, whereupon the fawl spring 33, urging the pawl rod outwar will cause the inner pawl end 32" to ride upon the rear face of the locking disc 31 between two adjacent notches 31n in readiness to snap into the next notch for thereby again positively locking the disc 31, together with the drive wheel 30 and the cam wheel 28, and thus locking the delivery members 25 at the delivery position of the latter.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a normally ineffective 'manually operable operating device to be made effective by means of a coin for causing such device first to release the above described locking device and thereafter to operate the above described driving device for thereby imparting a step of rotative movement to the cam wheel 28 from one of its locked positions to its next locked position in which the delivery members 25 are again locked in their normal or delivery position. This manually operable device Will now be described.

A manually operable rocking coin carrier 35 is pivoted at 36 and at its upper part substantially fills the space provided for it between the partition wall 20 and front wall 9 of the casing. The rocking movement of the coin carrier 35 is limited by upper and lower stop lugs 37 and 38 rovided on the frame 2O and which are in t e path of a lug 39 on the back of the coin carrier. The coin carrier is returned and normally maintained at its retracted position shown in the drawings by a coiled retractile spring 40 anchored to the frame 20 and connected -to the lower part of the coin carrier. At its upper portion the coin carrier 35 is provided with a transverse coin-holding slot 41 to receive the lower edge of a coin. Back of this coinliolding slot the coin carrier is provided with an inclined shoulder from the upper part of which projects a coin-moving finger 42, the rounded end of which will engage substantially the center of a coin.

A slightly inclined coin slot 43 is provided in the front casing wall 9 through which a proper coin may be inserted edgewise into the aligned slot 41 of the coin carrier. In this position the coin Will be immediately at the front of the coin moving finger 42 with the upper edge portion of the coin at the front or right hand face of the upper stop lug 37 and with its rear edge portion just back of or at the left of the inclined cam face of the pawl rod 32, of the above described locking device. In this position the upper edge portion of the coin will be in spaced relation to the lower-most tooth 30 of the drive wheel 30 with this tooth in the path of the coin as the latter is moved from left to right by the coin carrier 35.

As the coin carrier 35 is rocked in a forward direction the finger 42 ushes the coin forward and at the beginning of the movement of the coin its rear edge comes into engagement with the inclined cam surface of the pawl rod l32 and pushes this rod back, thereby unlocking` the delivery mechanism as above described. While the inner edge of the coin thus holdsback the pawl rod 32, with its pawl end 32b disengaged from a notch 31n in the locking disc 31 and with its notch 32n in alignment with the disc 31, the upper forward edge portion of the coin comes into engagement with a tooth 30 of the drive wheel 30. A slight further forward movement of the coin frees the coin from the pawl rod 32 and continued forward movement of the coin rotates the drive wheel 30 through a step of oneeighth of a complete rotation, thereby imparting a corresponding step of rotative movement to the cam wheel 28, whereby the cam operated levers 26 impart a complete to and fro, backward and forward, movement to the delivery members 25, thus delivering a purchased comb 23.

In this operation it will be noted that the operating cam wheel 28 is thus brought to a stop by the locking pawl 32 while this cam wheel is still being driven forward by the then effective coin carrier 35. carrier 35 will be brought to a stop before it has quite completed its forward limit of movement as determined by the upper stop lug 37 and the coin carrier lug 39. This assures a complete to and fro movement of the delivery members 25 While at the same time the automatically acting locking pawl 32 prevents the accumulated momentum of the cam wheel 28 from causing it to overrun and thus displace the several parts of the mechanism involved, including the delivery members 25.

The remaining parts of the complete manually operable operating device which includes the coin carrier 35 will now be described. An internally toothed arcuate rack 44 on the coin carrier 35 is engaged by a pinion 45 on a handle shaft 46 upon the outer end of which is fixed a handle knob 47. The handle knob 47 im arts rotation of the pinion 45 through a riction clutch comprising cone member 48 rotative with the handle knob and a cup member 49 connected to the pinion 45 to rotate the latter. The clutch elements 48 and 49 are held in driving engagement by a coiled compression spring 5() which is held under tension upon the inner end of the handle shaft 46 by a nut 51. This yieldable clutch driving connection is a safeguard against the possibility of breaking any part of the operating mechanism by trying to force the coin carrier 35 beyond its limit of movement or to move it when it is in a locked condition, as will hereinafter more clearly appear.

For the sake of completeness of descriplll) ing parts of the complete coin controlled mechanism shown in the drawings will be briefly noted. When the restoring spring 40 retracts the coin carrier 35, at'the beginning of this movement the coin will drop into a coin chute 52 on the frame 20 a-nd thence to the casing bottom 6. The disengagement of the coin from the coin carrier -is assured by means of spring-pressed coin-disengaging pawl 53 which will dislodge the coin from the coin carrier.

It will be noted that the return spring 4() for the coin carrier 35 is connected thereto through the intermediary of a feeler lever 54 located in a deep slot in the forward ed e 0f the coin carrier and which is pivot by means of a pivot pin 55 to the lower end of the coin carrier, the spring 40 being connected to this lever 54 below and to the ri ht of its pivot 55. The end of a left arm of t is lever pivotally carries a pair of double acting reversible pawls 56, urged to a middle position by small retractile springs 57. These pawls may wipe in either direction over and escape from each end of a segmental ratchet 58 on the frame 20. A long upper arm of the lever 54 forms a feeler linger the tip of which is normally at the back or left of the coinholding slot 41 in the coin carrier 35. When this coin-holding slot is empty, the pawls 56 may reverse on the ratchet 58 to permit the coin carrier spring 40 to retract the coin carrier 35 from any position, the feeler tip of this lever then moving across the empt coinholding slot 41, but a coin in this slot will lock the movement of the feeler lever 54 so that the pawls 56 cannot reverse on the ratchet 58, and accordingly the coin carrier 35 must be given a full forward movement when it car-I ries a coin. This prevents the loss of coins in the machine.

A curved horseshoe magnet 59 is mounted to rock on the frame 20, with the pole ends of its spaced arms extending over the coin-holding slot 41 lin the coin carrier 35, and is pressed towards the coin carrier and normally against the upper stop lug 37 by a spring 60. The magnet 59 carries a pair of small rollers 61, and a cam lug 39 on the coin carrier lug 39 successively engages these rollers to rock the magnet against the tension of its spring, which then causes the magnet arms to strike against the stop lug 37. Thus a magnetizable slug will be lifted out of the coin carrier slot 41 and discarded. Also the spring-pressed magnet arms receive between them the upper edge of the inserted coin and properly position it in the coin carrier slot 41 inward and free from the coin slot 43 in the casing wall 9.

The coin-moving finger 42 will pass freely through the hole in a washer and discard it without operating the delivery mechanism, and a frail disc of any material will be bent and discarded without o ratingV the delivery mechanism. The upwa d curvature of the bottom of the lc/oin-holding slot 41 at the back, as shown bythe dotted line in Fig. 3, prevents the insertion of square or other angular slugs. It will be noted that the forward wall of this slot 41 at the front of the coin carrier extends upward to form a coin guide which is shown" as a separate piece secured by a screw to the body of the coin carrier.

' The principal features of the general o rating mechanism have now been descri d. In carrying out the complete invention automatically acting means are provided oontrolled by the supply of articles in the maga'- zine to prevent the loss of coins in the machine when the magazine requires replenishing, and such means will now be descn It will be noted that the front face of the coin carrier 35 is immediately inward from the front casing walls 2 and 9 and that the coin carrier, particularly in its upper portion, substantially fills the space between these outer front walls and the inner or partition wall provided by the supporting frame 20. Also it will be noted that 1n the normal or retracted position of the coin carrier 35 shown in the drawings, that the coin-holding slot 41 is in ali ment with and immediately inward from t e coin slot 43 in the upper front plate 9. Therefore it is evident that the slightest forward-'movement of the coin carrier 35 will obstruct or close the coin slot 43 against the insertion of a' coin and that this slot will remain vthus closed throughout the full forward `movement of the coin carrier and until it has beelireturned to its normal position, as will be clear from Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. It may be noted, and as will be evident from Fi 1, that only the lower portion of the coin s ot 43 will be thus closed or blocked, but that is of no consequence since it is obvious that a coin cannot be inserted.

In accordance with the invention, a normally ineffective locking device is provided for the coin carrier and is controlled by the supply of articles in the magazine so as to be made effective to lock the coin carrier at slot-closing position when the magazine needs replenishing. More particularly, such device comprises a locking member for the coin carrier 35, with operating means for this member the operation of which is controlled by the supply of articles, such as the combs 23, to be vended. The particular locking device rovided for thus locking the coin carrier. W ich is embodied in the operating mechanism of the vending machine illustrated in the drawings will now be described.

In the construction shown, the coin carrier 35, at its rear side, is provided with a pin or stud 62 forming a lug which rojects through an arcuate slot 20a provide in the inner wall or partition wall formed by the frame 20. A lock is provided for the coin carrier 35 which is shown as a locking pawl in the form of a latch hook 63. The locking awl 63 is pivoted between a pair of lugs 20b w lich project from the rear face of the wall 20, by means of a horizontal pivot pin or shaft 64.

A locking arm of the pawl 63 extends downward and at the forward side of its lower end is provided with a locking hook 63", the upper abrupt face of which is substantially on a level with the lower side of the upper end of the slot 20 in the wall 20.

Thus the locking face of the hook 63a will be just below the level of the lower side of the coin carrier pin or lug 62 when the coin carrier 35 is rocked to its forward position, as is indicated in broken lines in Fig. 5. Accordingly the hook 63a may be moved into the path of the pin 62 in the return movement of the coin carrier 35 so as to engage this pin and thus prevent return movement of the coin carrier, or this hook 63 may remain out of the path of the pin 62 to provide for the free return movement of the coin carrier 35. The locking pawl 63 is normally maintained at its disengaging or ineffective position shown in Fig. 5 in which, in the construction shown, an upwardly'projecting tail arm 63b thereon abuts against the inner face of the wall 20.

An operating lever is provided for the locking pawl 63 which is shown as a rearwardly and somewhat upwardly extending bell-crank arm 63c on this locking ypawl 63. The lower end of an upwardly extending operating rod or link 65 is pivoted to the bellcrank arm 63 and extends upwardly into the magazine, there to have its pawl-operating endwise movement controlled by the supply of articles, such as the combs 23, in the magazine. In the construction shown, the upper end of this link 65 is slidably guided in a hole 16 through the lower magazine bottom plate 16, at the'left side of the machine, and projects into a somewhat larger aligned hole 17 1 through the floor plate 17.

This hole 17 is adjacent to the left guide strip 22 and its guide rib 22, and two other similar holes 17l are provided through the floor plate 17, one which is adjacent to the right guide strip 21 and its guide flange at the rear, and the other of which is at the middle of the machine adjacent to the lower front plate 18 of the magazine. The locking pawl 63 and its operating link 65 are spring-operated in one direction of their movement and are operated in the other direction of their movement through force applied to the upper end of the operating link 65. In thc embodiment of the invention shown, the locking pawl 63 is normally maintained at its ineffective or disengaging position, with its operating link 65 correspondingly at an upper position, by means of a light thrust spring 66 acting between the hook-carrying arm of the pawl 63 and the partition wall 20, in each of which recesses are shown as provided for holding this spring in place.

In the construct-ion shown, the operation of thc locking pawl 63 is controlled by the combs 23 in conjunction with the follower weight 24. It will be noted that the upper end of the operating link 63 is normally just below the upper surface of the floor plate 17 The follower bar orwveiglit 24 is provided with a suitable number of legs 24, shown as three, which are in vertical alignment with the holes 17 in the floor plate 17 and these legs rest upon the stack of combs 23. This follower may be of rather heavy sheet metal with its legs struck downward therefrom, as shown in the drawings. lVhen the last or topmost comb in the magazine is pushed forward through the delivery slot 19 and the delivery members 25 are locked at their delivery or normal forward position, the follower 24 will descend and its legs 24 will enter the holes 17a provided for them in the magazine fioor plate 17 Vhen the legs 24:Il enter the holes 17, the one which enters the hole into which the link 65 projects will, by reason of the weight of the follower, push the link 65 downward, thereby rocking the locking pawl or latch hook 63 against the tension of its spring 66 to bring the hook 63il of this pawl into the path of the pin 62l on the coin carrier while the latter is still at its forward position. The locking pawl 63 thus prevents the spring 40 from returning the coin carrier 35 to its normal position, in which the coin slot 13 would be open, but locks the coin carrier 'at a forward position in which it blocks or closes the coin slot 43, whereby a coin cannot be inserted through this slot.

For complete understanding of the claimed invention it may be well to note some of the features or details of construction which may be more or less changed or modified if so desired or according to the type of vending machine in which the invention may be embodied. Accordingly, attention will be directed to examples of some of such variations in construction, within the broader limits of the invention.

The projecting pin or lug 62 may be omitted from the coin carrier 35, and in such case the locking hook 63a on the locking pawl 63 may be long enough to engage some other part of the coin carrier, for example, its lug 39. The spring, shown as the spring 66, for operating the locking pawl 63 and the link 65 in one direction of their movement, does not need to act directly upon such pawl, but may act indirectly thereon through an intermediary connection. The locking pawl 63 may be spring-pressed toward instead of away from its effective position, and then normally maintained at its ineffective position against the tension of its spring. The lower end of not need itself to be actuated directly, as there could be an interlnediary part, also this link could be operated in one direction of its movement otherwise than by means of the follower weight 24, for example, by means of the articles or packages themselves directly, and in such case, particularly in machines i in which the articles orpackages tobe vended are of greater thickness than the combs 23, the follower may be omitted.

An example of an embodiment of the present invention disclosing such variations in construction is to be found in my above noted copending application Serial No. 78,265, filed December 30, 1925, which Patent No. 1,722,- 230, discloses this invention as embodied in a vending machine of a different type. The invention has also been embodied in vending machines in which the coin itself is not the direct driving instrun'lentality for the vending mechanism, but in which the coin otherwise renders the normally ineffective manually operable operating device, which includes the cpin carrier such as 35, effective for operating the delivery mechanism. Such machines embodying this invention are disclosed in my above noted copending applications Serial No. 224,051, filed October 5, 1927, and Serial No. 238,288, filed December 7, 1927. The illustrated and above described embodiment of the invention and also various other embodiments thereof have operated effectively.

It is obvious that various modiieations may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described, within the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A coin controlled vending machine having, in combination, an outer casing wall provided with a coin slot for the edgewise insertion of a proper coin, a rocking coin carrier immediately inward from saidwall to receive the Icoin and which when it is operated closes the coin slot against insertion of a coin, a magazine for articles to be vended, and an automatically operated locking device controlled by the supply of articles in the magazine to lock the coin carrier at slot-closing position when the magazine needs replenishing, such device comprising a pivoted locking pawl to engage and lock the coin carrier, a link for operating the pawl, and operating means for the link controlled by the supply of articles in the magazine.

2. A coin controlled vending machine having, in combination, substantially parallel. spaced inner and outer walls of which the outer wall is provided with a coin slot for the edgewise insertion of a proper com, a roeking coin carrier pivoted between said Walls" and normally in position to receive a coin inserted through said slot and so that the coin carrier when operated closes said slot against the insertion of a coin, a magazine for articles to be vended, a normally disengaged locking pawl pivoted on the inner wall to be engaged with the coin carrier for locking thev latter at. its slot-closing position, and means controlled by the supply of articles in the magazine to operate the locking pawl thus to lock the coin carrier at its slot-closing position when the magazine needs replenishing,

3. A coin controlled vending machine, having, in combination, substantially parallel spaced inner and outer walls of which the outer wall is provided with a coin slot for the cdgewise insertion of a proper coin, a rocking coin carrier pivoted between said walls and normally in position to receive a coin inserted through said slot and so that the coin carrier when operated closes said slot against the insertion of a coin, a magazine above the coin carrier for articles to be vended, a normally disengaged locking pawl pivoted on the inner wall to be engaged with the coin carrier for locking the latter at its slot-closing position, an operating link connected to the locking pawl and extending upward to the magazine, means Within the magazine controlled by the supply of articles therein for causing endwise pawl-operating movement to be imparted to said link for locking the coin carrier at slot-closing position when the magazine needs replenishing, a spring for automatically actuating said pawl and link in one direction of their movement, and a restoring spring for returning the coin carrier to its normal position and thus to open the coin slot.

4. A coin controlled vending machine having, in combination, substantially parallel spaced inner and outer Walls of which the outer wall is provided with a coin slot for the edgewise insertion of a proper coin, a manually operable coin carrier pivoted to have limited rocking movement between said Walls normally in position to receive a coin inserted through said slot and to close said slot When operated, a restoring spring for returning the coin carrier to its normal position, an upright magazine provided with a floor plate at a higher level than the coin carrier and in which articles to be vended may move downward to the floor plate, such floor plate being provided with a hole through it, a follower resting upon the articles in the magazine, a normally disengaged locking pawl pivoted on said inner wall to be operated for engaging and locking the coin carrier at its slot-closing position, an operating link for said paWl connected thereto and at its upper end guided in said hole in the floor plate to be Acontrolled by the follower thereby to lock the coin carrier at its slot-closing position when the magazine needs replenishing, and a Spring for op.l era-ting said pawl and link in one direction ot' their movement. y

5. A coin controlled vending machine having, in combination, substantially parallel spaced inner and outer walls of which the outer wall is provided with a coin slot for the insertion of a proper coin, a manually operable coin carrier pivoted for limited rocking movement between said walls normally in position to receive a coin inserted through said slot and to close said slot when operated, a restoring spring connected to the coin carrier for returning the latter to its normal position, an upright magazine provided with a floor plate at a higher level than the coin carrier for containing articles to be vended which may move downward to the floor plate, such floor plate having a hole through it, a normally disengaged locking pawl pivoted on said inner wall to be engaged with the coin carrier for locking it` at slot-closing position, an operating link for the pawl connected thereto and guided at its upper end in said hole in the floor plate, a spring for normally maintaining said pawl at its disenga ed position and said link at an upper position, and a follower weight resting upon the articles in the magazine and provided with a downwardly projecting lug in alignment with said hole in the `Hoor plate and which when the last article has been vended will enter said hole an'd depress said link thereby to engage said pawl with the coin carrier and lock the latter at slot-closing position.

6. A coin controlled vending machine having, in combination, an outer casing wall provided with a coin slot for the edgewise insertion of a proper coin, a rocking coin carrier immediately inward from said wall pivoted on an axis at right angles thereto and provided With a transverse coin-holding slot which is normally in alignment with said coin slot immediately inward therefrom for moving the coin flatwise adjacent to said wall and so that when the coin carrier is operated the portion thereof adjacent to its coin-holding slot closes said coin slot in the casing against the insertion of a coin, a magazine for a supply of purchases to be vended, a normally disengaged locking pawl at the rear of the coin carrier pivoted on an axis transverse to the axis of the coin carrier to be engaged with the coin carrier for locking the latter at its slotclosing position, and operating means for the locking pawl controlled by the supply of purchases to lock the coin carrier at slotelosing position when the magazine needs replenishing.

7. A coin controlled vending machine having, in combination, substantially parallel spaced inner and outer walls of which the outer wall is provided with a coin slot for the edgewise msertion of a proper coin, a rocking coin carrier substantially filling the space between said walls and pivoted on an axis at right angles thereto and provided at its margin with a transverse coin-holding slot which is normally in alignment with said coin slot immediately inward therefrom for moving the coin `iatwise and so that when the coin carrier is operated the portion thereof adjacent to its coin-holding slot will close the said coin slot against the insertion of a coin, a magazine for a supply of purchases to be vended, a normally disengaged locking pawl pivoted on the inner wall at the inner side thereof on an axis transverse to the axis of the coin carrier in position to be engaged with the coin carrier for locking the latter at its slot-closing position, and means controlled b the sup ly of purchases to operate the loc 'ng pawl) thus to lock the coin carrier at its slot-closing position when the magazine needs replenishmg.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

LOUIS H. MORIN.

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